Chiefs Release Running Back Johnson

Well, the Kansas City Chiefs are giving Larry Johnson a little time to consider what "public domain" really means.

Johnson, the troubled running back who was most recently suspended by the team for anti-gay remark he posted on Twitter, has been let go by the Kansas City Chiefs. From ESPN:

Johnson, who turns 30 on Nov. 19, was just 75 yards away from breaking Priest Holmes' team rushing record.

The decision by the Chiefs (1-7) was not a surprise.

"A part of him is excited and a part of him is very regretful," Johnson's agent, Peter Schaffer, told The Associated Press. "There's a lot of feelings going on right now. It's analogous to breaking up with a girlfriend. Maybe you saw it coming, but it still hurts when it happens."

A No. 1 draft choice out of Penn State in 2003, Johnson was one of the best running backs in the NFL in 2005 and 2006, rushing for more than 1,700 yards in each of those Pro Bowl seasons.

But often angry and sullen, he was dogged by controversy and frequently at odds with coaches and fans. On Oct. 25, in what turned out to be his final episode with the Chiefs, he posted on his Twitter account several insults to fans, questioned coach Todd Haley's credentials and used a gay slur.

He repeated the slur the next day to reporters and was suspended for two weeks. At Schaffer's urging, the Chiefs cut the financial penalty in half, saving him about $315,000.

Johnson was the subject of an online petition last week calling on the Chiefs not to let him break the team rushing record. He was never a fan favorite and his apology for the online comments came almost exactly one year after issuing a similar apology for alleged incidents involving women in Kansas City nightclubs.

In 2008, then-coach Herm Edwards benched him for three straight games for violating team rules. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him a fourth game for violating the league's player conduct policy.

Larry, your job is by no means "easy," but it is fairly "simple": Score touchdowns, throw an occasional block. Possess something that governs your inner monologue. These aren't hard, Lar. They're just not hard.